How Does Geogrpahy Shape the History of the Canadian West?

One way to look at geography is through five simple themes. These themes reflect on some of the key components of geography. They can be used to easily examine the geography of a place or location. Each of the themes has at least two sub themes that narrow the theme down. The themes are:

1. Location.
Location is where something exists physically. Location can be absolute, which is defined by features such as coordinates or an address. Location can also be relative. This means that you can understand the general location based on defining features or landmarks.

2. Place.
Place is everything inside of an area. Physical characteristics of place are landforms, plants, animals, and anything else not produced by humans. Human-Cultural characteristics are human made. Buildings or roads are examples of this.

3. Region.
Regions are areas with distinctive characteristics. Formal regions are official, government defined places. Functional regions are defined by a specific function or purpose, such as a grocery store or bowling alley. Vernacular regions are defined by characteristics or peoples perceptions.

4. Movement.
Movement is the travel of people, goods, or ideas. Movement of people is people being transported. Movement of goods is goods being transported. Movement of ideas is where ideas are shared. Ideas can be shared through books, texts, or even conversation.

5. Human-Environment Interaction.
Human-environment interaction is how people interact with the environment and how the environment responds. Humans can depend on the environment for food or shelter. Humans can also adapt to the environment by changing their lifestyle to fit the environment’s conditions. The last thing humans can do is modify the environment by removing or adding to the environment.

These are the five themes that I have used to analyze the geography of the West.

How has the Geography of the West Shaped Who We Are?

The geography of the West is very unique and has shaped me in many ways. If it wasn’t for Britain claiming land in the West back in the 1840s, the USA might have claimed it for themselves. With the discovery of gold, the West became more popular. With the introduction of the railway, the West joined Canada. New people were brought in to work on the railway and the West started to grow. Each of these historical events have led to where and how I live. History is everything that happened to shape that people and the place in which we live.

What Made and Makes the West?

I went on a nine day field trip to different places around the Canadian West. Specifically, I stayed in Golden, Banff, Calgary, and Revelstoke. I have analyzed and studied the rich history of every place I went to. I have included reflections for ten places that I visited during the trip. The following pages include photos and analyses on the five themes of geography. They also include reflections on how they have shaped the West. I have also added a personal connection to the places and their history.

The Last Spike

This photo shows four of the five themes of geography: movement, region, place, and human-environment interaction. It shows the movement of goods, ideas, and people coming from one part of Canada to another. The goods could be crops, materials, or products. There was also newspapers and books that would transport ideas. The people would be workers who worked in mines or on farms. When building the railway, the workers had to adapt to the rough terrain in order to create a functioning railway. The train route is a functional region. It is named after how the train moves. This photo shows human-cultural characteristics of place with the train tracks and physical characteristics of place with the mountains and trees in the background.

The Last Spike marks the end of construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The CPR tied together the East and West parts of Canada. Without it, British Columbia would have likely joined the USA instead of Canada. The railway provided ways to move people, and resources over thousands of kilometres. The train is still used to move goods all around Canada. The train was also responsible for jobs. 15,000 men worked on the train. Most of them were Chinese immigrants who were shipped in for little cost. They helped populate the country by giving people a new place to live. The train led to the creation of many tourist areas and towns that are still in use today such as the Chateau Lake Louise and the Banff Hot Springs.

The train was very significant and it impacted many people in some very meaningful ways. It is very likely that some of my ancestors rode the CPR as means of entering the West. I may not have been born if it wasn’t for the train. The train would of also bring nessicary supplies, as well as trade opportunities to the West, which helped create the place in which I live today.

Golden Skybridge

This photo shows four of the five themes of geography: movement, human-environment interaction, place, and location. It shows movement of people through the people walking across the bridge. The mountains and canyon show physical characteristics of place and the bridge shows human-cultural characteristics of place. The bridge shows human modification of the environment because the bridge was drilled into the ground and new structure was placed. We also adapted to the land. Without the bridge, there is no way to cross the canyon in that location. The photo shows relative location, which is next to the Golden Skybridge.

The canyon is very deep. Without the bridge, there is no way to cross the canyon in this specific area. Building bridges made more areas of the West accessible, making the West a place with lots to see and do. The Golden Skybridge is also a popular tourist spot due to its attractions such as the zip line or adventure course. Tourist attractions such as this help bring people into areas, such as the West, and contribute to the economy.

When I was at the Golden Skybridge, the experience was a fun experience. There was a zip line, a treetop ropes course, and various play areas. There were also more attractions being built. The owners clearly wanted these to be a way to get people to spend money on admission and bring people to the area the same way people were brought to the West.

Cave and Basin National Historic Site

This photo shows three themes of geography: region, human-environment interaction, and place. The Cave and Basin National Historic Site is an official government park. It is a formal region. Before it was a historic site, the hot springs were a popular tourist destination. They modified the land and built a large building so that people could enjoy the hot springs. This photo shows physical characteristics of place with the cave walls and water basin.

The Cave and Basin National Historic Site was a very popular tourist attraction in Banff, Alberta. Before it was a National Historic Site, the warm water was pumped into a pool for visitors to bath in. People came on the CPR to visit the famous hot springs. The attraction helped popularize the West as a place to visit or live. Later, it was discovered that a population of snails was living in the water and that they were almost extinct due to harmful toxins that come off of people’s skin. Now, it has become is a National Historic Site. The snail population is slowly returning.

When I was at the National Historic Site, I learned about the discovery of the hot springs. I also learned about how the hot springs became a business and a tourist attraction. The whole site was set up to teach people about the history of the park, the history of Canadian National Parks, and the history of Banff. On the trip, we also visited the modern Banff hot springs. These hot springs were set up after the first one closed down. The water at these hot springs was treated and no harm was being done to the ecosystem. This shows that tourism is still valued as a way to bring people into Banff.